Device for displaying photographs



Patented July l2, I898.

B. S. WHITEHEAD. I DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING PHOTOGRAPHS, PICTURES, &c.

(Application filed Doc. 24, 1897.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: lNVENTOR BENJAMBN 5 WHB'HEHEADQ T NORRIS PETERS cu. PNUTOLITHO.. WASHINGTDH, n c.

BENJAMIN S. IVHI TEHEAD, OF NEWVARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNQR TO THElVHITEHEAD & IIOAG COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

DEVICE FOR DISPLAYING PHOTOGRAPHS, PICTURES, 84.0.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,104, dated July 12,1898.

7 Application filed December 24,1897. SerialNo 1 668,819. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN S. WHITE- HEAD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices forDisplaying Photographs, Pictures, &c. and I do here by declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to a novel construction of photograph, picture,medallion, or other suitable holder preferably made in the form of aneasel; and the invention has for its primary object to provide a novelform of photograph, picture, or medallion holder which shall be of asimple and cheap construction and still be very ornamental in itscharacter, presenting many advantages, whereby it is adapted, aside fromits use as an ornament, as an advertising medium, the face card or platewith which the photograph, picture, medallion, or the like is usedbeingprovided with a surface on which a name or advertisement can beeffectively displayed.

The invention therefore consists in the novel construction of a devicefor displaying photographs, pictures, or the like preferably made in theform of an easel provided with a depression and a shell having anannular and inwardly-turned rim forming a bead arranged in saiddepression and cooperating with the inner sides thereof and a supportheld in spring contact in said bead and against the back of the saidshell.

The invention consists, furthermore, in such other novel arrangementsand combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter fullydescribed, and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, inwhich Figure l is a front or face view of my novel form of photograph,picture, or medallion holder and Fig. 2 is a back view of the same. Fig.3 is a horizontal cross-section of the photograph or medallion holder,taken on line 00' in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a face View, and Fig. 5 a backView, of my novel form of photograph or medallion holder,'but of aslightly-modified form of construction, the same, however, stillembodying the principles of my present invention. Fig. 6 is aperspective view of a support made from wire which is to be used inconnection with mynovel forms of photograph or medallion holders.

Similar letters of reference are employed inall of the above-describedviews to indicate corresponding parts.

In said drawings, ct indicates a suitablycurved metallic shell which isformed with an inwardly-projecting marginal rim or bead a, therebyforming a chambered portion in the back of said shell, substantiallyasillustrated. Upon the face of this shell I prefer to arrange aflexible disk or covering 60 of celluloid, paper, or any other suitablematerial, usually provided with a photograph or other desirable picture,but which may be provided with any desirable design, emblem, or thelike, as will be clearly evident. The annular edge a of said disk orcovering a is arranged over and underneath said marginal rim or bead cof the shell a, where it is held fast and pulled taut by a suitable ringor collet Z), as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. The said ring or colletb, which is provided with an inwardly-extending annular rim or edge 17,is arranged beneath said marginal rim or bead a of the shell a and holdsa suitable 'stiifening-disk, of paper or other material, in place andalso forms a receiving portion for'the holding lugs or prongs d of awire support d, which is to be used in the manner to be moreparticularly described hereinafter. Of course it will be evident that 0the said disk 0 is not essential to the present construction and may bedispensed with, if desired. As will be seen from the several figures ofthe drawings, said shell a, bearing the photograph, picture, or thelike, is used in connection with a frame-like device E, which may be ofany desirable configuration in out lineeither rectangular, as in Figs. 1and 2, or circular, as in Figs. 4 and 5. The said device E, which may beof a plastic material I00 such as celluloid, hard rubber, or the like,or may be of metal-can be suitably ornamented upon its face, asillustrated, and is provided with a central depression 6, formed by thebackwardly-extending annular portion 6 and the closed part 6 said partsforming a suitable chamber in the device E, into which the shell a,hereinabove mentioned, is forced and held therein by the frictionbetween the marginal rim or edge of the shell and the inner surface 6 ofthe annular portion e, as indicated in Fig. 3. The said depressionformed in the device E may be bounded by a suitably-raised ornamentation6, formed in the face of the said device E.

In orderthat the several parts can be used as a photograph or medallionholder in the manner of an easel, I have provided the part 6 with a pairof perforations 6 through which the lugs or prongs d of the wire supportcl are passed and then arranged behind the ring or collet Z), which isconnected with the shell a in the manner hereinabove set forth, wheresaid lugs or prongs (1 will be properly held in place by the spring-likeaction of the main portion of the said wire support (1. After said lugsor prongs cl have thus been passed through the holes or perforations ein the devices illustrated in Figs. 2 and 5 and have been connected withthe shell then the latter can be arranged in the said depression orchambered part 6 and the several parts are operatively connected, saidwire support cl extending from the back of the device E and enabling itto be used in the manner of an easel.

From the above description it will be seen that I have devised a simpleand cheap as well asan ornamental and useful device which can be used asan easel or display-card for exhibiting photographs, pictures,medallions, designs, and emblems of various kinds.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device fordisplaying photographs, pictures, medallions, 850., the combination,with a frame-like device E, having a depression formed therein, providedwith a perforated back, of a shell having an annular rim, arranged insaid depression, and cooperating with the inner sides thereof forholding said shell in position therein, and a wire support extendingthrough said perforated back of the depression and being in holdingengagement with a portion of said shell, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. In a device for displaying photographs, pictures, medallions, &c.,the combination, with a frame-like device E, having a depression formedtherein, provided with a perforated back, of a shell having an annularand inwardly-turned rim, forming a head, a flexible covering on saidshell bearing a picture,

emblem, design, or the like, arranged in said depression, andcooperating with the inner sides thereof for holding said shell inposition therein, and a wire support extending through said perforatedback of the depression and being in holding engagement with a portion ofthe shell, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a device for displaying photographs, pictures, medallions, &c.,the combination, with a frame-like device having a depression formed byportions e and c and said portion 6 having a hole or holes therein, of ashell having an annular. rim, adapted to be arranged in said depressionand held therein, a Wire support d and lugs or prongs d on said supportadapted to be passed through said hole or holes in said portion a and inoperative engagement with said shell, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

4. In a device for displaying photographs, pictures, medallions, due,the combination, with a frame-like device having a depression formed byportions 6 and e", and said portion 6 having a hole or holes therein, ofa shell having an annular and inwardly-turned rim, forming a head, aflexible covering on said shell bearing a picture, emblem, design, orthe like, said shell and covering being arranged in said depression andheld therein, a wire support (1 and lugs or prongs d on said supportadapted to be passed through said hole or holes in said portion a and inoperative engagement with said shell, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

5. In a device for displaying photographs, pictures, medallions, &c.,the combination, with a frame-like device having a depression formed byportions 6 and 6 and said portion having a hole or holes therein, of ashell having an annular and inwardly-turned rim, forming a bead, a ringor collet I) connected with said rim, a flexible covering over saidshell and said ring or collet, and said flexible covering bearing apicture, emblem, design, or the like, said shell and covering beingadapted to be arranged and held in said depression, a wire support d andlugs or prongs cl on said support adapted to be passed through said holeor holes in said portion e and said lugs or prongs being operativelyarranged between said rim of the shell and said ring or collet,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereuntoset my hand this 17th day of December, 1897.

BENJAMIN S. WHITEIIEAD. lVitnesses:

FREDK. O. FRAENTZEL, \VM. H. CAMFIELD, Jr.

